M I N U T E S - OXFORD REGIONAL AIRWAY GROUP MEETING

Chair:Dr Benham 

Present:Dr Benham, Dr Popat, Dr Goodwin, Dr Rangasamy, Dr Marfin, Dr Bokhari, Dr Kapila, Dr S Scott, Dr Iqbal, Dr Smithies, Dr Danha, Dr Mathews, Dr I Davies, Dr I Calder, Dr Pradham, Dr Ramaswamy, Dr Iyer, Dr J Mathews

Apologies: Dr Frerk, Dr Pandit, Dr Manji, Dr Dravid, Dr Warwick, Dr Maxwell

1. Introduction

SB welcomed everyone to the meeting, and thanked Dr Rangasami for organising and hosting the scientific meeting. He thanked also Dr.Ian Calder for delivering the guest lecture 'The myth of cervical spine injury caused by anaesthesia'. Dr Popat reinforced the aim of the ORAG to improve the profile of the group, and to attract as many trainee and Consultant members as possible. It was agreed that having the ORAG scientific meeting as part of the departmental academic meeting was a good idea, and had attracted a very wide audience.

2. Airway Logbook

a. Following the presentation by Dr James Mathews, there was a discussion on the implementation of the logbook that Dr Rangasami and Dr S Scott had introduced at Wexham Park. Firstly, it was noted that the expectation to deliver airway training in certain areas - ILMA,fibreoptic intubations had fallen well short of target numbers.
b. Agreed that there should be a trial period of 2 months for all trainees in the region to fill in the logbook, to get an idea of what training was being achieved in the different centres. It was thought probably August/September 2005 would be a good time to do this, as the results would be available for both the autumn ORAG meeting, and also for DAS, should anyone wish to present the findings there. Dr Rangasami and Scott will liase with Dr Popat, who with his Reginal Advisor role, will ensure it had the full weight of the STC committee/School board behind it.

3. Morbidity/mortality database

Dr Popat informed the group that despite the DAS difficult airway database coming to an end, he had raised the question of whether it would be useful to have a Oxford Region database of 'near misses', and airway mortality. Dr Calder supported the idea, but thought that each hospital needed a nominated reporter identified for the scheme to work. It was suggested that such a database could be accessed through an ORAG website.

4. Oxford Regional Airway Website

Dr Rangasami mentioned that although setting up a website was relatively cheap and easy, it was the maintenance that took time and energy. Noone volunteered to maintain the site. However, it was agreed that a simple webpage with some key contact people, the aims of ORAG, and links to DAS website, and the NDA, and the STC would be useful. Dr.Rangasami will pursue this. This site can now be visited at www.orag.co.uk

5. Research

a. Dr Benham informed the group that there was currently a great deal of audit and research going on in the region. The need for a regional research coordinator for airway research was suggested. Dr.Alex Marfin was nominated and appointed by the group to this role for a period of 2 years. It is envisaged that Consultant or trainees around the region could let Alex know what they are doing, and that any trainees going to a hospital who want to get involved can ask him who to see in that particular department.
b. Dr Benham reminded the group of the advantage of embarking on research which involved different sites and departments, facilitating recruitment and good numbers for research.

6. ORAG courses updates

a. There was discussion about the usefulness of ongoing Oxford Difficult Airway Workshop, now in it's tenth anniversary. Dr Kapila questioned whether it was still useful, as most other places were running their own workshops. Dr Benham suggested that as many of the ORAG were now running the Winter and Annual AAGBI workshops, the Oxford Workshop still had a role for local trainees, and as a testing ground to improve/update workstations before taking them onto the national stage.
b. Dr Benham informed the group that the second 'Training the Trainers'in Airway Management course in March 2005 had been a success, and hoped that would continue.
c. Dr Popat informed the group of the success of the SHO Airway Day,which Dr J Thompson and Dr Popat had organised at the request of the STC for all SHOs in the region.
d. Dr Bokhari has been running a course for medical students/house officers at the Horton for several years, and reported that it was continuing to be very popular.
e. Dr Marfin reported that the AAGBI workshops that he and Dr Dravid had coordinated had been very successful, and had been asked to repeat them next year at the AAGBI Scientific meetings.

7. Any Other Business

a. Dr Popat introduced the Airway Alert Forms that he had been using in Oxford over the last year. Several people asked for information on these, and were directed to the DAS website, for one of the forms. Dr.Popat and Kapila suggested that in the future, perhaps one of the advanced airway fellows could have a region wide role in following these forms up.
b. Dr Benham and Kapila suggested that for the ORAG events to be well publicised each departmental tutor, and a ORAG representative should be identified to ensure information is flowing both ways. Dr Benham also pointed out that even a database of the emails of all interested trainees and consultants would be a start. A register was sent round to ask for these names and emails.
c. The meeting was closed with an agreement to meet again in Northampton on Friday 4th November, afternoon meeting. Programme for the meeting to follow, but can people request the afternoon off well in advance. Dr S W Benham. 19th May 2005